Man went to get haircut but ended up with scissors lodged in his shoulder

A violent gang attacked a customer in a barber's shop - leaving scissors in his shoulder. Five men had rushed in with one pulling the victim from his chair as he was having a haircut in front of staff and other customers.

CCTV footage played at Mold Crown Court today showed victim Leon Sumner curling up on the floor as blows are rained down on him during the "terrifying" incident. The young men then leave the barber's shop on High Street, Connah's Quay on July 10 last year.

Three of the men Toby Cragg, 20, Billy Unsworth, 22 and Joe Young, 20, were convicted of violent disorder. Today a judge at Mold Crown Court gave them suspended sentences.

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Prosecutor Karl Scholz told the court that a man kept watch at the entrance to the barber's shop and five men in a car turned up. One of them - Cragg - pulled the victim from the chair and "yanked from his grip" a jacket he was using to protect his face.

Unsworth was also involved and Young was the last person to hit Mr Sumner. In fact Young also "jumped up and down on his body," said Mr Scholz who said it must have been "terrifying".

During the incident, Mr Sumner was stabbed in the back of a shoulder with scissors and half the blade was left in the flesh. But neither Mr Sumner nor the barber's shop owners told police about what they saw or how they felt "for fear of repercussions," the court heard.

Peter Barnett, defending Cragg, of Cwrt Jones, Penymynydd, said his client had pulled over the barber's chair and kicked and punched Mr Sumner. He had played a significant role but a lesser one that the others.

John Wyn Williams, for Unsworth, of Cleveland Grove, Garden City, called it a "dreadful case of public violence". But his client may have been subjected to peer pressure.

He said Unsworth had been a boxer for his country and was asked to go to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. But he had been injured in a car accident ending his promising boxing career.

Gareth Bellis, for Young, of Deans Close, Bagillt, said it had been a "dreadful, horrific and no doubt terrifying... episode of public violence" but asked the judge to draw back from imposing a sentence of immediate custody.

The judge His Honour Niclas Parry told the defendants: "Appalling, disgraceful, frightening and terrifying - all words properly used by your counsel." He added: "This was premeditated and planned, clearly a revenge attack, a group attack under the influence or drugs and or alcohol."

A child had grabbed their toy before running to the back of the barber's shop in the CCTV footage. "The impression of that small child returning to retrieve their little toy will be engrained on the minds of those who saw it," he said.

But they had been men of good character, there was no complainant - the victim had not officially complained - and they had not re-offended. The public could be better served if they received community sentences.

He sentenced the three defendants to 21 months in custody suspended for two years. They must all wear an electronic tag until September 21 during a curfew between 6.30pm and 6am. Cragg and Young must do 250 hours of unpaid work.

Unsworth must do 120 hours of unpaid work and attend 30 days of rehabilitation activity. They must all pay £400 towards court costs.

Cragg also admitted possession of cannabis, a Class B drug, but there was no separate penalty for that offence.

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